Comments on: Fads, Trends and Digital Stickiness http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/ Thoughts on Startups, Entrepreneurs and the Web Thu, 09 Feb 2012 17:25:18 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: E Guy http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/comment-page-1/#comment-50184 E Guy Wed, 12 Mar 2008 10:57:57 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/#comment-50184 To be equally fair, friendster is more polished than geocities, myspace is more polished than friendster, facebook is more polished than myspace, etc. The issue is not necessarily making mistakes...the issue is being on the leading edge of what consumers want. Building a sustainable business model protects one from the need to constantly innovate to keep the fickle consumer engaged. Facebook does not yet have it, unlike the eBays, Google, and Yahoos of the world. Without it, there will be a new shinny toy to come along that is "more polished than Facebook"... To be equally fair, friendster is more polished than geocities, myspace is more polished than friendster, facebook is more polished than myspace, etc. The issue is not necessarily making mistakes…the issue is being on the leading edge of what consumers want. Building a sustainable business model protects one from the need to constantly innovate to keep the fickle consumer engaged. Facebook does not yet have it, unlike the eBays, Google, and Yahoos of the world. Without it, there will be a new shinny toy to come along that is “more polished than Facebook”…

]]> By: Aaron S http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/comment-page-1/#comment-50158 Aaron S Wed, 12 Mar 2008 05:56:22 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/#comment-50158 It is really easy to find the analogy in comparing facebook to geocities, friendster, etc... To be fair though, none of these earlier renditions were able to come up with a product so polished. Don't forget a little thing called evolution too, so don't expect them to make the same mistakes those earlier social networks made. It is really easy to find the analogy in comparing facebook to geocities, friendster, etc…
To be fair though, none of these earlier renditions were able to come up with a product so polished. Don’t forget a little thing called evolution too, so don’t expect them to make the same mistakes those earlier social networks made.

]]> By: E Guy http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/comment-page-1/#comment-50098 E Guy Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:17:59 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/#comment-50098 Facebook like those before it...myspace, friendster, geocities, etc...will lose its prominence and potentially die unless it continues to innovate and provide value to the consuming public. In essence, Facebook lacks a sustainable long term business model. Youthful inexperience drives innovations like Facebook (because they have few filters to restrict their thinking) but maintaining that innovation lead is problematic. Comments from Mike and Magnus above are reflective of this youthful inexperience. "Those that do not understand history are doomed to repeat it" Facebook like those before it…myspace, friendster, geocities, etc…will lose its prominence and potentially die unless it continues to innovate and provide value to the consuming public. In essence, Facebook lacks a sustainable long term business model.

Youthful inexperience drives innovations like Facebook (because they have few filters to restrict their thinking) but maintaining that innovation lead is problematic. Comments from Mike and Magnus above are reflective of this youthful inexperience.

“Those that do not understand history are doomed to repeat it”

]]> By: Jay http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/comment-page-1/#comment-50095 Jay Tue, 11 Mar 2008 18:07:38 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/#comment-50095 Friendster is leading other social networking sites in Southeast Asia, not Brazil. That's probably Orkut you're talking about. Friendster is leading other social networking sites in Southeast Asia, not Brazil. That’s probably Orkut you’re talking about.

]]> By: Marc HIll http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/comment-page-1/#comment-50069 Marc HIll Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:14:20 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/#comment-50069 It would be a shame if Facebook joined the digital cemetery. For me it is an incredibly useful place to interact with my community. The news feed is great to stay in touch, but it offers so much more like planning social events, learning about new products, and the mini blog aspect of the Notes feature. The benefit is really everything in one place. I can see the use of Twitter expanding but I don't see the same depth of user experience as FB. Although Facebook is perhaps losing users, it has introduced people to social media. Above all there has to be a compelling reason for people to use these services. New services like Fubar demonstrate that people are eager to connect, although not necessarily with the same people everyday. It would be a shame if Facebook joined the digital cemetery. For me it is an incredibly useful place to interact with my community. The news feed is great to stay in touch, but it offers so much more like planning social events, learning about new products, and the mini blog aspect of the Notes feature. The benefit is really everything in one place. I can see the use of Twitter expanding but I don’t see the same depth of user experience as FB.

Although Facebook is perhaps losing users, it has introduced people to social media. Above all there has to be a compelling reason for people to use these services. New services like Fubar demonstrate that people are eager to connect, although not necessarily with the same people everyday.

]]> By: Magnus http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/comment-page-1/#comment-50068 Magnus Tue, 11 Mar 2008 14:12:55 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/#comment-50068 Facebook fatigue = Facebook cynicism from the older crowd. Highscool and college students are not going to trade Facebook for Twitter or Linkedin anytime soon. I was at the Playboy mansion in Novemeber for a party, what would you rather see? A status text line saying I'm at the PB mansion or the status line + the photos uploaded from my blackberry at the same time? Hmmmm... Facebook fatigue = Facebook cynicism from the older crowd. Highscool and college students are not going to trade Facebook for Twitter or Linkedin anytime soon.

I was at the Playboy mansion in Novemeber for a party, what would you rather see? A status text line saying I’m at the PB mansion or the status line + the photos uploaded from my blackberry at the same time? Hmmmm…

]]> By: Alex Barrera http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/comment-page-1/#comment-50063 Alex Barrera Tue, 11 Mar 2008 13:10:37 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/#comment-50063 Truth is, I'm feeling the same way about Facebook as you do Mark. The problem is that for me, the best part of Facebook was the status messages and the news feed. It is the only reason I continued to use Facebook (and the post links app). Now, Twitter comes along with fewer features but focusing on the only one I really like about Facebook. For me that's a killer, it gives me what I like about Facebook but in a better way. So for me it isn't that I jump to the next shinny thing, it's that takes the FB experience to a new level. BUT, as Mike posted, most Facebook users aren't early adopters or tech guys. Early adopters are moving to Twitter (probably because of similar reasons as mine) and will eventually jump to Pownce if their new API continues to get traction and Twitter does nothing to fix their lack of support for payloads for example. Nevertheless, huge crowds of collage students still use Facebook and Europe is beginning to wake up to the Facebook revolution. My two cents :) Truth is, I’m feeling the same way about Facebook as you do Mark. The problem is that for me, the best part of Facebook was the status messages and the news feed. It is the only reason I continued to use Facebook (and the post links app). Now, Twitter comes along with fewer features but focusing on the only one I really like about Facebook. For me that’s a killer, it gives me what I like about Facebook but in a better way. So for me it isn’t that I jump to the next shinny thing, it’s that takes the FB experience to a new level.

BUT, as Mike posted, most Facebook users aren’t early adopters or tech guys. Early adopters are moving to Twitter (probably because of similar reasons as mine) and will eventually jump to Pownce if their new API continues to get traction and Twitter does nothing to fix their lack of support for payloads for example. Nevertheless, huge crowds of collage students still use Facebook and Europe is beginning to wake up to the Facebook revolution.

My two cents :)

]]> By: Mike Germano http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/comment-page-1/#comment-50051 Mike Germano Tue, 11 Mar 2008 12:04:03 +0000 http://www.markevanstech.com/2008/03/11/fads-trends-and-digital-stickiness/#comment-50051 Well Mark I don't think you have ever understood facebook. Since yourself and some older people "Got on" once it was open to the public you joined your cliches and that was it. The major difference is that every College student must have a facebook account to even be semi social in school. This generation of College students that use facebook, use it for their primary form of communication. People like you will use it since it is hot and then move on to something else. Well Mark I don’t think you have ever understood facebook. Since yourself and some older people “Got on” once it was open to the public you joined your cliches and that was it. The major difference is that every College student must have a facebook account to even be semi social in school. This generation of College students that use facebook, use it for their primary form of communication. People like you will use it since it is hot and then move on to something else.

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